>Mime-Version: 1.0
>Date: Thu, 9 Oct 1997 21:52:28 +0100
>To: richter@somtel.com
>From: Tenenbaum <norlites@kynd.com>
>Subject: an adventure story from Marissa
>
>>
>yesterday was Cholo's birthday, he is only 47! we had a little gathering
>in quito.
>
>okay, dad, you asked for adventures and now you will get an answer or
>two. okay, so i spent the first night out of quito in the oriente,
>basically rainforest. it was so scarey, i slept with marisabel. let me
>explain: marisabel and I traveled with isabel's brother, fransisco, and
>his wife, marie, to the beach. it is many hours so we spent the night at
>marie's parent's house. now, marie is a very "modern" woman, long nails,
>pedicure, the whole bit. so i naturally assumed that her house would be
>at least NORMAL. so first we drive down two hours worth of dirt roads,
>usually they were rivers, with water and everything. when we get there
>it's dark, and i see a light on the second floor, and it looks like it's
>shining thru WINDOWS, how wrong i was. so we get out of the car and it
>is raining and we climb up a rickety old flight of stairs to the house.
>oh wait, i forgot to mention the mule living under the house. it's like
>four hundered degrees and more humid than a sauna. there are no walls to
>the house, just railings so you don't fall off. the walls don't reach
>the ceiling. the living room and dining room are right out in the
>no-walls area. then there is the kitchen, which makes me glad i didn't
>really eat there. there is a dog and four or five cats, whose only
>purpose is to get rid of the rats. the shower runs off of a huge blue
>thing (water holder thing) and is only tepid, but it's okay cuz it's so
>hot. the wooden planks of the floor are slimy and gross. and then there
>are the bed rooms. the beds are enclosed in mosquito nets to keep out
>the bugs and cockeroches and vampire bats, who like to bite the toes of
>their victims. we got there late and we showered cuz of the heat and
>loaded on the bugspray (thanks mom) and ate some corn (it was boiled so
>i felt safe eating it) and then tried to go to bed. in our room there
>was a big bed and a smaller bed, marisabel took the bigger one. we laid
>down and i wrote some in my journal and then i saw this huge,
>disgusting, black, nasty thing that looked like it's only purpose in
>life was to crawl all over my face while i was sleeping. so i grab my
>bugspray and bombarded this disgusting creation of the devil, or
>something, and it doesn't even flinch. it just looked at me and said
>"you think your Off For Kids that you bought cuz it smells good is going
>to affect, much less kill, me? you've got to be kidding. don't think i'm
>not going to figure out how to get under your safe-looking (yeah right)
>bug net.". so i hit my bug net and it flew away and i curled up in the
>middle of my bed and resumed being scared. then marisabel found another
>one on her net and screamed (she's not the outdoorsey type) and i jumped
>into her bed and we were scared together. at this point it is important
>to say that i really don't consider myself the
>girly-afraid-of-bugs-type. then the generator went off. and it was pitch
>dark. and we couldn't see the creepy-crawly-bitey-nasty things above and
>all around us. and the window didn't have a screen so the bats could've
>flown in when ever they felt like it. and the animals or rodents or bugs
>or that huge monster of the amazon was making a LOT of noise and we
>were, to say the least, petrified. so to wrap things up, i, needless to
>say, didn't sleep a whole lot. i clutched my bugspray all night like a
>gun. we were woken up at four am, but i wasn't sleeping.
>
>so, dad, is that the kind of adventure you wanted to hear about? i hope
>you are satisfied with my description. definatly save this letter for me
>cuz i didn't write it down this well in my journal.
>
>okay, so then we went to the beach. i was great, and the house was
>normal. there were a few cockeroches but they were disposed of quickly.
>it was four hundered degrees, but beautiful. the pacific is gorgous, i
>loved it. we were in a house 100 feet from the ocean. it was in the
>middle of this apartment complex cuz fransisco is an engineer-guy. he
>desgined the buildings. there were two beautiful pools there too. the
>ocean there (we were in a town called Tonsupa, inbetween Esmereldas and
>Atacames) was too dangerous to swim in, there are lots of undertows and
>the day before we got there a man drowned and three more almost did. one
>day we went down to the beach and there were millions of starfish on the
>shore, we threw them back like saving beached whales. there was a cute
>black guy there who spoke enuf english to tell me that i am beautiful,
>how sweet. oh, then one day we drove 45 minutes south to a town called
>Moisne and hired a boat to take us an hour down this river to the ocean
>and a deserted island called La Isla Bonita (the beautiful island).
>there are no houses, no people, nothing except white sand and warm waves
>and sun. it was so beautiful. we spent as long as we could (until the
>tide started coming in) playing on the waves. the ocean here is hot!
>it's incredible. the sun is really strong and i got quite the burn, but
>i am okay now.
>
>what else what else. nothing else outstanding i guess. when i think of
>more i will write more. what do you think of my adventures?
>
>oh wait! i forgot, on the way to the oriente, that beautiful but scarey
>place, we passed to the northern hemisphere and i saw the place where
>the earth is divided into the four hemispheres. there is a monument.
>then we ate lunch and marie's brother ate "cuy". gineau pig. roasted
>whole, feet, head, and all. i almost puked.
>
>okay. write to me. tomorrow is the initiation at school. after tomorrow
>we have another week off. i am so scared. the uniform is awful.
>
>i love you and miss you.
>
>marissa















Mime-Version: 1.0
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 21:04:11 -0500
To: lrichter@mail7100.skowheganms.sad54.k12.me.us
From: richter@somtel.com (richter)

>
>>Dear Skowhegan;
>>
>>Hey everyone! Yeah, I do know how impersonal this is, but it was a good
>>opportunity, I guess. So let me begin by saying that I hope everyone is
>>having a good year: passing classes, keeping out of (serious) trouble,
>>and remembering to exercise "respect and responsibility". I am sure that
>>things are mostly the same at home, Skowhegan isn't one of those
>>"fast-moving" towns, if you know what I mean.
>>
>>So...Ecuador. I guess I'll tell about the country and stuff first, and
>>about being an exchange student afterward. Alright...
>>
>>My town is called Riobamba-I actually live three and a half kilometers
>>out of the city on the road to Guano (feel free to laugh hysterically).
>>Riobamba is 2,750 meters (about 9,020 feet) up in the Andes. The city
>>has approximately 100,000 people in it; it is kinda like a big Skowhegan
>>though, there are more people but not much of anything to do. A few
>>discos, but that's it. My town is surrounded by four snow-capped
>>mountains: Chimborazo (6,310 meters or 20,700 feet tall--it is a dead
>>volcano and it's peak is the farthest point from the center of the earth
>>because of the equatorial bulge); El Altar (5,319 meters or 17,466 feet
>>tall--also a dead volcano. It has a lake in it's center.); Tungurahua
>>(5,016 meters or 16,453 feet tall--a live volcano that hasn't erupted in
>>100 years); and Carihuairazo (5,020 meters or 16,466 feet tall).
>>Riobamba is the geographical center of Ecuador. Because it is so high
>>up, Riobamba has an average temperature (they say) of 16 C (about 60 F).
>>The days are nice and usually sunny but the nights are cold. There is no
>>change of seasons here, except that it rains more in "winter" than in
>>"summer". This year is exceptionally dry and it has only just started to
>>rain in the afternoons. The lack of rainfall is such a problem that they
>>are unable to produce enough electricity (lots of electricity is
>>produced through hydropower) to light the whole country. Sometimes we
>>have our electricity cut. Quite the pain. Riobamba is an important
>>agricultural center.
>>
>>The people here, for the most part, are very poor. Anyone with white
>>skin totally dominates this country. The 'indigenas' (indigenous people)
>>are almost all living in poverty of one degree or another. It is not
>>unusual to see people sleeping in parks or on the sidewalk. Many of the
>>homeless people are older, but the little children always make me want
>>to cry. They ask to shine your shoes or just hold out their grubby
>>little hands and look at you with these huge, teary, brown eyes...its
>>horrible. The other day I was in the park with two friends (exchange
>>students through AFS) and there were two little boys near us, not more
>>than eight years old. One was crying and my friend Nina gave him the
>>candy that she had been eating. The two kids fought for it--violently.
>>But even though we felt bad for the two children, we weren't oblivious
>>to the stunt they were pulling: two little poor boys saw three 'gringos'
>>(North Americans/Europeans) sitting in the park, in nice clothes,
>>speaking English. They knew how to make us hand over money or food. And
>>maybe we are pushovers, and maybe we're not. Tough call.
>>
>>So after I witness the incredible pain in so many sets of eyes everyday,
>>I get to go home to my huge house, nice family, and 'empleadas' (maids).
>>My house is enormous. When you walk in there is a gigantic...lobby. I
>>don't know what else to call it. We've got a room for the indoor pool twice as
>>big as my house in the States. We don't even use the second floor of the
>>house. We have tennis courts out back and horses that we keep at our
>>hotel. We have two people who live here that work for us. Martita does
>>laundry and cooks and cleans. Her husband does...I am not sure what he
>>does, but he drives us around sometimes. Then there's Cornelio, he does
>>the trees and lawns and stuff, and sometimes he cooks. There are at
>>least two other people who come here once or twice a week to do stuff.
>>It is kind of nice, and definately different than at home, but I can't
>>get used to it. I feel guilty. My family is nice, I like them a lot. My
>>"mom", Isabel, is great. She works at the hotel that we own next door.
>>My "dad", Ernesto (we call him Cholo), is an engineer. He owns and
>>operates our furniture factory. He also runs our farm and he rents the
>>house that we own in Quito (the capital of Ecuador, it is about three
>>hours north) to some Americans. I have a 14-year-old "sister",
>>Marisabel. She has taught me, though backwardly, a lot about society
>>here and about myself. I have a 9-year-old "brother", Daniel, who is
>>adorable. I also have another "brother", Ernesto, who is 17 and living
>>in Pennsylvania this year. I have never met him.
>>
>>School...all I can say about school is this: All of you, right now, look
>>at what you are wearing. Maybe you think you look good, maybe not. Look
>>at the people around you. Look at their hair and clothes and jewelry and
>>make-up. Maybe the girl in the next row looks really good. Maybe the guy
>>in front of you looks like he hasn't changed his clothes since summer (a
>>smile goes out to all my friends who know where that image came from.
>>And to him: you know I am just kidding. Hey, you were the only one with
>>toothpaste.), maybe some girl in your class is pregnant. Everyone hates
>>their school and teachers and stuff, that's normal. And everyone loathes
>>some of the people in school. But never forget that it is diversity that
>>makes things interesting. Embrace the differences. If everyone looked
>>the same, well, then you would be at my school. Okay, here we go. A) I
>>go to a CATHOLIC GIRLS SCHOOL, B) to anyone who has ever seen Pink
>>Floyd, The Wall: you know the part where all the students are marching
>>and they have no faces? Welcome to my world. Catholic Girls School. That
>>means 'infierno' (look it up). The uniform made me cry the first day I
>>put it on. It consists of the following, starting from the top: if we
>>have long hair it is required to be pulled back in a red scrunchie; no
>>make-up; no jewelry (we can get away, barely, with rings and earrings);
>>a white, collared, button-down shirt; a polyester, fire-engine-red
>>sweater with buttons down the front; a tomato orange-light blue- black
>>plaid skirt (also polyester) below the knee (skin's a sin); white
>>(polyester) knee socks to hide any remaining skin; and the shoes...they
>>are red and white bowling shoes-I feel like I should be holding a 10
>>pound ball. If your finger-nails are painted they kick you out of school
>>until you take the polish off. Skipping school results is expulsion
>>(kinda makes administrative sound not so bad, huh?). Smoking in the
>>bathrooms isn't even an issue since the bathrooms have no doors. We have
>>to stand up when teachers enter and leave the rooms, and also if we want
>>to speak. We have to go to mass on Wednesdays. Nuns roam the halls like
>>wolves, looking for the slow sheep. I can't even explain how horrible it
>>is. To anyone who has ever said a negative thing about SAHS, just think
>>about where i go to school everyday (hold up: I haven't gone
>>pro-Skowhegan or anything. I mean, no cheerleading in my future), but
>>submitting myself to this world of conformity day after day has made me
>>appreciate the freedom that we have in U.S schools.
>>
>>What else...society is a lot different here, to put it lightly. Its like
>>America in the fifties. Remember "The Wonder Years"? The girls all smile
>>sweetly as the boys scream at them on the street. It took me the first
>>month to figure out that before you are "dating" someone here, the boy
>>(NEVER the girl) has to say, "would you be my girlfriend?" (please check
>>yes or no...sorry. Third grade flashback.)And people are very forward
>>here. Guys have no problem reaching out and grabbing something if it
>>looks good to them. And being white just encourages what now seems like
>>constant verbal harassment. At first it was fun ( my friend Nina, from
>>Germany,
>>and I stopped traffic one day) but now it is just obnoxious and
>>a little scary sometimes. And if you kiss someone before you are
>>'enamorados' (together) then you are considered (the-not-nice-word-for-)
>>promiscuous. Not quite like home, huh? I could expand on this topic alot,
>>but I do want this to get published. Not everyone is like this, but to
>>put it simply, machismo is alive and well and men definitely dominate
>>here.
>>
>>In general, though, I love it here. Nothing is perfect, I would have
>>been stupid to expect that. There are obviously things that I hate. Its
>>hard to live here, but getting easier, I guess. The language part is
>>really hard. You couldn't understand just how hard unless you'd had to
>>do it yourself. Stop taking communication for granted, it is a gift, and
>>sometimes a privilege that needs to be earned. I've had a lot of time to
>>think here, and I have figured out a lot of things. You think Skowhegan
>>is your world until you get to a place that has no clue where Maine is,
>>and doesn't really care that much. I have changed a lot in the last two
>>and a half months, for the better, I hope.
>>
>>So I guess that is it. I hope you all enjoyed my little commentary, as
>>long and rambling, and I hope not boring, as it was. I will write my
>>address and email so please everyone write. A lot of the people that I
>>really miss haven't gotten in touch with me. The last part of this is
>>going to be a few messages to people that I haven't been able to contact
>>or whatever. So to everyone else I miss you and I love you (you know who
>>you are). Get in touch. "As you are able to LOVE ONE ANOTHER."
>>
>> Peace and Love to you all,
>>
>> Marissa Tenenbaum
>>
>>
>>Marissa Tovi Tenenbaum
>>PO BOX (06-01-979)
>>Riobamba, Ecuador
>>
>>email: marissatovi@hotmail.com
>>
>>
>>Mime-Version: 1.0
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 1997 21:13:30 -0500
To: lrichter@mail7100.skowheganms.sad54.k12.me.us
From: richter@somtel.com (richter)
Subject: Re: curious students

>Date: Sun, 07 Dec 1997 19:34:21 -0800
>From: Familia Valdivieso <valdivieso@accessinter.net>
>MIME-Version: 1.0
>To: richter <richter@somtel.com>
>Subject: Re: curious students
>
>DEAR LAURA AND ROOM 2:
>
>HEY KIDOS! I JUST WANTED TO COMMEND YOU ON GREAT QUESTIONS. KEEP ASKING
>THEM! :)
>
>LOVE AND PEACE, MARISSA
>
>richter wrote:
>>
>> Dear Marissa,
>> This is the group in Mrs.Richters class studing about
>> Ecuador.We read the letter that you emailed to Mrs.Richters house. It was
>> an interesting letter. What exsactly was that big black bug you was trying
>> to kill.
>
>NO IDEA. I AM THINKING A COCKEROACH, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY BIG BLACK
>DISGUSTING BUGS IN THE RAINFOREST, I'LL NEVER BE SURE. I JUST KNOW THAT
>IT SCARED ME ALOT.
>
>> What part of Ecuador are you living in?
>
>I AM LIVING IN THE TOWN OF RIOBAMBA. IT IS THE CAPITAL OF CHIMBORAZO
>PROVINCE. THERE ARE ABOUT 100,000 PEOPLE. IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT A MAP, I
>LIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF ECUADOR, IN THE ANDES MOUNTAINS. MY TOWN IS 2,800
>METERS UP.
>
>What do you do with your
>> spare time?
>
>UM...I DON'T KNOW REALLY. I MEAN, IT IS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AS AT HOME
>AS FAR AS THAT GOES. LIKE, EVERY WEEKEND, ALMOST, THERE ARE PARTIES.
>PARTIES ARE REALLY DIFFERENT THAN PARTIES AT HOME. EVERYONE DANCES, AND
>THERE ARE USUALLY PARENTS THERE AND SOME PEOPLE'S LITTLE BROTHERS AND
>SISTERS. IT IS A LOT OF FUN. AND DURING THE WEEK I DIN'T GO OUT THAT
>MUCH, BUT WHEN I DO I HANG OUT WITH MY FRIENDS, MOSTLY MY EXCHANGE
>STUDENT OR ENGLISH SPEAKING FRIENDS, THOUGH I HAVE LOTS OF ONLY SPANISH
>SPEAKING FRIENDS TOO. I DON'T WATCH TV AT ALL HERE, THOUGH I DIDN'T
>REALLY AT HOME EITHER. TV IS ALL IN SPANISH, UNLESS YOU HAVE CABLE, BUT
>WE DON'T AT MY HOUSE. I LISTEN TO MUSIC. I AM TAKING TWO CORRESPONDENCE
>CLASSES, SO I HAVE WORK TO DO FOR THOSE. I EMAIL ALOT. ALOT!!! I READ
>WHATEVER ENGLISH BOOKS I CAN GET MY HANDS ON VERY QUICKLY. I WRITE IN MY
>JOURNAL EVERYDAY. I WRITE LETTERS...
>
>What is the government like,is it a democracy like ours or is
>> it different?
>
>YES, ECUADOR IS A DEMOCRACY. THEY HAVE A PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT. I
>THINK, IF I UNDERSTOOD RIGHT IN SPANISH, THAT THE VICE PRESIDENT IS A
>WOMAN (MAYBE THE U.S CAN LEARN SOMETHING!). THEY HAVE A CONGRESS. LAST
>WEEKEND THEY VOTED ON A GROUP TO REVISE THE CONSTITUTION. I REALLY DON'T
>KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT HERE.
>
>How big are the cockeroches any way?
>
>HUGE, LIKE WAY BIGGER THAN A QUARTER. LIKE TWO HALF DOLLAR COINS PUT
>TOGETHER, THEY ARE DISGUSTING AND THEY SCARE ME. I HAD NIGHTMARES AT THE
>BEACH.
>
>> What are the holidays like in Ecudor?
>
>WELL, TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH THEY ARE BASICALLY THE SAME AS AT HOME.
>ECUADOR IS A VERY CATHOLIC COUNTRY SO CHRISTMAS IS VERY RELIGIOUS,
>PEOPLE GO TO CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY (I DON'T GO). THE ONLY REAL
>HOLIDAY-TYPE THINGS I HAVE SEEN WERE THE FIESTAS OF RIOBAMBA (FIESTA
>MEANS PARTY). RIOBAMBA HAS TWO SETS OF FIESTAS, ONE IN NOVEMBER AND ONE
>IN APRIL. THE ONES IN NOVEMBER WERE OKAY, THEY OPENED THE PLAZA DE LOS
>TOROS (THE BULLFIGHTING RING) THAT WEEKEND. IT WAS SO DISGUSTING AND
>CRUEL. I CRIED. SERIOUSLY. THE ONES IN APRIL ARE SUPPOSED TO BE BETTER,
>THEY COMMEMERATE THE INDEPENDECE OF RIOBAMBA. EVERY CITY HAS IT'S OWN
>FIESTAS, QUITO'S WERE THIS WEEKEND (QUITO IS THE CAPITAL OF ECUADOR) IN
>FEBRUARY IS CARNIVAL, WHICH IS JUST A HUGE PARTY WHERE PEOPLE GO NUTS.
>THEY THROW WATER AND EGGS AND FLOUR AND ANYTHING ELSE THEY CAN GET THEIR
>HANDS ON. IT IS A HUGE PARTY WITH DANCING IN THE STREETS AND EVERYTHING.
>SUPPOSED TO BE VERY COOL. NOVEMBER 1 IS DIA DE LOS MUERTOS (DAY OF THE
>DEAD). MY FAMILY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING BUT MY FRIEND RICH'S FAMILY (HE IS
>FROM THE U.S-- HE IS AN EXCHANGE STUDENT ALSO) WENT TO THE CEMETARY WITH
>THE FAVORITE FOODS OF THE DEAD PERSON AND EVERYONE DRINKS COLADA MORADA
>WHICH IS THIS FRUIT DRINK MADE FROM BLACKBERRIES, IT IS GOOD BUT
>SOMETIMES IT HAS ALCOHOL IN IT. IT IS A DAY TO REMEMBER THE DEAD PEOPLE
>IN YOUR FAMILY. THERE ARE OTHER HOLIDAYS HERE, BUT I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH
>ABOUT THEM TO WRITE ABOUT.
>
>Have you ever seen a vampire
>> bat in the rainforest?
>
>I HAVE ONLY BEEN TO THE ORIENTE, WHICH IS LIKE THE BEGINNING OF THE
>RAINFOREST. AND I ONLY SPENT THE NIGHT THAT I WRITE TO MRS. RICHTER
>ABOUT. NO, I DIDN'T SEE ONE, BUT I DREAMED ABOUT THEM THAT NIGHT.
>VAMPIRE BATS ARE REAL, BUT THEY PREFER TO BITE THE TOES OF THEIR
>VICTIMS, NOT THE NECKS LIKE IN THE STORIES. I AM NOT SURE IF THEY KILL
>YOU WHEN THEY BITE, BUT I AM NOT REALLY INTO FINDING OUT EITHER. I AM
>GOING BACK TO THE RAINFOREST WHEN MY MOM COMES HERE, IN 10 DAYS.
>
>> What are the schools like?
>
>I GO TO A CATHOLIC GIRLS SCHOOL. THAT MEANS NO BOYS. THAT MEANS THAT THE
>SCHOOL IS RUN BY NUNS. THAT MEANS THAT IT IS TREMENDOUSLY DIFFERENT THAN
>ANYTHING IN SKOWHEGAN MAINE. WE ALL WEAR UNIFORMS, THEY ARE SO UGLY THEY
>MAKE ME WANT TO CRY, ALTHOUGH I AM GETTING USED TO THEM NOW. KINDA. MY
>SCHOOL IS PRIVATE, AND IS SUPPOSEDLY THE BEST SCHOOL IN THE CITY. IN MY
>SCHOOL ARE GIRLS FROM PRE-KINDERGARTEN UNTIL HIGH SCHOOL. I AM IN
>"QUINTO CURSO" WHICH IS LIKE A JUNIOR AT HOME. THERE ARE 6 "GRADOS" AND
>THEN 6 "CURSOS". CURSOS ARE HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL AND GRADOS ARE
>ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. WE DON'T SWITCH CLASSES LIKE AT HOME, THE TEACHERS
>COME TO OUR CLASS AND WE ARE ALWAYS WITH THE SAME PEOPLE. THE 4th, 5th,
>AND 6th CURSOS HAVE SPECIALTIES, WHICH IS LIKE YOUR MAJOR. I AM IN
>"CIENCIAS BASICAS", OR BASIC SCIENCE, WHICH IS REALLY CHEMISTY AND MATH
>ALL DAY. OTHER THAN THAT I HAVE LITERATURE, HISTORY/GEOGRAPHY, RELIGION
>(I DON'T DO THAT CLASS), GYM, MASS ONCE A WEEK, AND ENGLISH. THE ENGLISH
>TEACHER CANNOT SPEAK ENGLISH AT ALL. I CORRECT HER ALL THE TIME AND SHE
>HATES ME FOR IT. OOPS. WE HAVE TO STAND WHEN A TEACHER ENTERS OR LEAVES
>THE ROOM. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO STAND TO SPEAK BUT NO ONE DOES. THE WALLS
>ARE BARE AND THE TEACHERS JUST LECTURE, THERE IS NO MATERIALS TO WORK
>WITH. I DON'T UNDERSTAND BECAUSE THE SCHOOL COSTS A LOT BUT WE HAVE TO
>PAY FOR OUR BOOKS AND PAPER AND EVERYTHING. IF THEY PASS OUT A PAPER,
>WHICH IS RARE, WE HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. WE CAN'T WEAR ANY JEWLERY OR
>MAKEUP OR NAIL POLISH. I ALOMST GOT KICKED OUT ONE DAY FOR HAVING NAIL
>POLISH ON. ALL THE TEACHERS ARE REALLY STRICT. I HATE SCHOOL HERE.
>
>What are the people like,how do they dress?
>
>WELL, THE DRESS IS EASIER TO EXPLAIN, SO I WILL START WITH THAT. THE
>INDIANS MOSTLY WEAR THE TRADITIONAL DRESS. THE WOMEN WEAR WOOL SKIRTS
>AND A BLOUSE OR SWEATER AND A SHAWL THING MADE OF BRIGHTLY COLORED WOOL.
>THEY ALL HAVE VERY LONG BLACK HAIR THAT THEY BRAID OR WRAP IN RIBBON.
>SOME GROUPS WEAR HATS, SOME HAVE DIFFERENT STYLES THAN OTHERS. THE
>MAJORITY OF THE INDIANS IN MY TOWN ARE QUECHUA, WHICH IS ALSO THE
>LANGUAGE THAT THEY SPEAK. THE MEN WEAR THE HATS, BUT WEAR PANTS AND
>NORMAL SHIRTS. THE WEALTIER PEOPLE, AND EVEN THE NOT SO WEALTHY, ALL
>DRESS NICLY. SLOPPY IS NOT IN HERE. GIRLS WEAR FITTED JEANS AND NICE
>SHIRTS, AND ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS BLACK HEELED SHOES. HAIR IS KEPT NEAT
>AND MOSTLY SHORT. BOYS WEAR NICE CLOTHES TOO, LIKE BUTTON DOWN SHIRTS
>AND NICE JEANS OR KAHAKIS. TOMMY HILFIGER, NO FEAR, EPIRIT, LEVIS, GAP,
>SKETCHERS, ARIWALKS, ADIDAS (IT REALLY IS SAID AH-DEE-DAS, BY THE
>WAY)...THEY ARE ALL COOL HERE. EVERYONE WEARS TOMMY HILFIGER AND NO
>FEAR. THEY ARE THE COOLEST THING. PEOPLE JUST KEEP NEAT. GIRLS DRESS UP
>TO GO TO PARTIES. I HAD TO CHANGE A LOT HERE, I CAN'T DO THE HIPPIE
>THING CUZ PEOPLE LOOK DOWN ON ME. NO ONE WEARS SANDLAS HERE, SHORTS ARE
>RARE IN THE MOUNTAINS. PEOPLE ARE JUST ALOT MORE CONCERNED WITH
>APPEARENCE THAN THEY ARE AT HOME.
>
>HOW PEOPLE ARE...WELL THERE IS ONLY ONE THING I CAN SAY, AND I DON'T
>KNOW HOW APPROPRIATE IT IS. THE GUYS HERE. OH MY GOD. IT IS SCAREY.
>MACHISMO IS NOT DEAD, DON'T LET ANYONE TELL YOU IT IS. I GET SCREAMED AT
>WALKING DOWN THE STREET, WHISTLED AT, GRABBED AT. WHEN I WALK INTO A
>PARTY THE GUYS GATHER AROUND ME, SURROUND ME. PEOPLE KISS ON THE CHEEK
>TO SAY HELLO AND GOODBYE HERE, MEN TO WOMEN AND WOMEN TO WOMEN (TWO MEN
>WILL SHAKE HANDS OR PAT EACH OTHER ON THE BACK). SO SOME GUYS TAKE THAT
>POLITE ACT AND PUSH IT TOO FAR. THE MEN HERE ARE DOMINANT AND VERY
>FOWARD. THE GIRLS ARE SECOND CLASS, NO DOUBT. WOMEN ARE TREATED EQUAL,
>MORE OR LESS, BUT THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT SET OF STANDARDS TO GO BY. LIKE,
>FOR EXAMPLE, A GIRL CAN'T GO OUT LOOKING FOR HER BOYFRIEND, SHE CAN'T GO
>TO HIS HOUSE. HE HAS TO DO THOSE THINGS. HE HAS TO CALL HER. HE HAS TO
>ASK HER OUT. AND IF A GIRL KISSES A BOY THAT SHE IS NOT GOING OUT WITH,
>WELL THAT IS JUST REALLY BAD. GIRLS HAVE TO ASK PERMISSION FROM THEIR
>FATHER TO GO OUT, NOT THEIR MOTHER, MEN HAVE THE FINAL WORD IN
>EVERYTHING. IT IS ALOT DIFFERNENT THAN AT HOME. GIRLS HERE ARE
>SUBMISSIVE AND DOMINATED. I HATE IT. I WANT TO KNOCK SOME SENSE INTO ALL
>OF THEM.
>
>What
>> is the climate like down there?
>
>RIGHT NOW IT IS THE RAINY SEASON, WHAT WE CALL WINTER. THIS YEAR IS
>REALLY WET BECAUSE OF EL NINO. WHEN I GOT HERE IT WAS VERY VERY DRY. THE
>AVERAGE TEMPERATURE HERE IN RIOBAMBA IS 60 F. IT IS VERY COOL AT NIGHT
>AND NICE DURING THE DAY. FROM MY TOWN YOU CAN SEE FOUR SNOW CAPPED
>MOUNTAINS, BUT IT NEVERS SNOWS AT THIS ALITITUDE. THE COAST IS
>INCREDIBLY HOT, DISGUSTINGLY HOT. THE ORIENTE IS MUGGY AND GROSSLY HOT
>ALSO.
>
> What are the houses like in Ecudor?
>
>MY HOUSE IS MADE OF CEMENT, WITH PLASTERED WALLS INSIDE AND WOODEN
>BOARDS ON THE INSIDE OF THE ROOF. WE ARE VERY WEALTHY THOUGH. MOST OF
>THE HOUSES ARE WOODEN AND AWFUL. SOME ARE MISSING DOORS, OR HAVE NO
>WINDOWS, OR ARE MADE OF GARBAGE, OR ARE JUST TRASHED. IT IS REALLY SAD.
>ALSO, HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY ARE HUGE PROBLEMS HERE. NONE OF THE
>HOUSES HAVE HEAT.
>
>Do you
>> have alot of stores in Ecuador?
>
>NO!!! NOT WHERE I LIVE ANYWAY. I HAD TO BUY SOME NICE CLOTHES YESTERDAY
>AND THERE WERE ONLY FOUR OF FIVE STORES TO GO TO. THERE ARE LOTS OF
>LITTLE CLOTHES STORES, BUT NOT NICE ONES. THERE IS ONE SUPERMARKET IN MY
>TOWN AND LOTS OF LITTLE FOOD STORES. THERE ARE LOTS OF BREAD STORES. BUT
>MY TOWN IS LITTLE AND THERE ARE LOTS OF INDIANS. QUITO IS VERY MODERN,
>WITH LOTS OF STORES. IT REMINDS ME OF NEW YORK, BUT IT IS A VERY MELLOW
>CITY. IT DEPENDS WHERE YOU GO, I GUESS.
>
>> room2 richter
>
>
>*SHANE DOYLE: i am really sorry but i have no idea about any of your
>questions. ecuador is a democracy, they have a president and a congress.
>i think that the vice president is a woman. last weekend they voted to
>elect a group of people to revise the constitution. if you have a few
>days, like 2 or 3, i can try to find out for you about the other
>questions. i am really sorry that i couldn't be more of a help to you.
>

Red Team Social Studies